St. Charles jail demolition cost estimate going up

Brett Duke/The Times-Picayune archive
The old St. Charles Parish jail was replaced with the Nelson Coleman Correctional Center in Killona in 1999. Deputy Clerk Andrea Baudouin was photographed in March with containers of records stored there.

The low bid to demolish the old jail in the St. Charles Parish Courthouse in Hahnville is about a third more than parish officials expected, but they aren't ruling out paying more.

Zimmer-Eschette Service II of Metairie submitted the low bid of $311,786 this month to tear out the old cellblocks to make way for new parish office space on the third floor of the courthouse.

"We had gotten a rough estimate of $200,000, but that's all it was," parish purchasing director Bobby Donaldson said.

This is the second time that the parish bid out the project.

When it did so in November, the deal attracted little interest from bidders because the parish planned to keep the steel bars, ceilings and plumbing.

"We went out again and allowed the bidders to keep the metal. This time, we got more inquiries and got three bidders," Donaldson said.

Parish President V.J. St. Pierre's administration plans to move the administration, finance and council offices to the third floor along with the Sheriff's Office's executive offices.

The move will make more room for the clerk of court, district attorney and judges offices.

The project does not include the cost of renovating the space for office use.

The old jail was replaced with the Nelson Coleman Correctional Center in Killona in 1999.

If the administration decides to move ahead with the project, St. Pierre will seek approval from the Parish Council.